After the order on partial mobilization signed by Russian President Vladimir Putin on September 21, all international flights to countries with a visa-free regime with Russia were sold out after a few hours.
For this reason, on September 22, long queues are recorded at the international terminals of Moscow airports. Practically 100 percent. all the persons standing in them are men, possibly trying to avoid mobilization for military actions in Ukraine.
The Moskvich publication emphasizes that one of the reasons for the long queues is that the border guards try to talk to men under 35 years old.
At Vnukovo airport, men of this age are gathered in a hall before the passport check, from where they are taken out one by one for an interview.
Young Russians trying to leave the country are asked the following questions:
When did you buy the ticket?
Do you have a return ticket?
The goal of the journey?
Did you serve in the army?
If not, for what reason?
Are you about to come back?
After such an interview, men are allowed to go through passport control, but border guards ask additional questions to persons belonging to this category of passengers.
Witnesses report a similar situation at St. Petersburg’s Pulkovo airport, the BBC Russian Service writes.
Some Russian residents are fleeing the mobilization in cars. Finland has confirmed reports of increased traffic on its border with Russia after the latter country announced a partial mobilization.
According to the border guards, traffic was higher than usual during the night on Thursday, and the situation did not change at dawn. A total of 4,824 Russian citizens crossed the Finnish border on Wednesday, compared to 3,133 Russians who crossed the border on the same day last week, according to Matti Pitkaniitty, head of the international affairs division of the country’s border guard service.
However, Mr Pitkaniitty stressed that the latest figure “is down from a normal weekend”.
Before that, the Finnish border guards denied the information that appeared on social networks that a huge traffic jam had formed on the border with Russia, stretching for 35 kilometers.
The Border Patrol said the videos showing the long lines of cars that went viral were filmed before news of the partial mobilization beginning in Russia.
It is strictly forbidden to use the information published by DELFI on other websites, media or elsewhere or to distribute our material in any form without consent, and if consent is obtained, it is necessary to credit DELFI as the source.
